The 2025 Presteigne Festival will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975), one of the most significant Russian voices of the 20th century, with a special focus on his music.

Demonstrating its continuing commitment to contemporary music, the Festival will welcome Jamaican-born British composer Eleanor Alberga as composer-in-residence and has also commissioned a collection of 13 news works from a broad and diverse composer base.

In addition to 14 concert and opera performances, the Festival offers a diverse mix of arts events – exhibitions, film screenings, poetry and talks as well as the ever-popular Presteigne ‘Open Studios’ weekend.